POM: The strange case of Dr Kowalski and Mr Loveless
by Literaturefangirl
Summary: Kowalski makes a potion to remove his ability to love but is transformed into a loveless monster. This is a homage to the Robert Louis Stevenson book called the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Rated T for a small injury caused to one of the characters because of Kowalski's violent behaviour and enhanced strength.


It was a beautiful spring day, the sun shone mildly, giving off tepid and pleasant heat.

The birds sang in the trees, children giggled with glee in the Central Park Zoo, flowers blossomed in the trees.

To the humans spring heralded a time of birth, growth and rejuvenation.

For the animals spring heralded the mating season, moulting time and an excuse to eat icy pops.

However while most people harboured happiness in their hearts during this joyful time of the year, there was one who harboured sorrow in his heart...

Kowalski was in his laboratory, crying softly.

For Kowalski, spring meant that his feathers fell off his slender body and revealed the tattoo of the one who had made him experience love but also heartbreak.

"I've had enough Doris, I give up. You are holding me back. I've got to do this." Kowalski talked to himself in defeat, while wiping the tears from his face with his flipper.

Kowalski left his laboratory and fetched a vast amount of chemicals and powders in a secret compartment and put them on his work bench. He then left the lab once more and went to the main headquarters.

"...And that is how you use your opponent's strength against him."

Rico and Private were lying on the ground groaning. Rico feebly waved a white handkerchief as a flag of truce.

Kowalski surmised that this was the result of a drill, Skipper had put the two penguins through.

Kowalski cleared his throat to announce his presence.

Skipper, noticing Kowalski's presence called out to him.

"Alright Kowalski, it's your turn now."

"Actually Skipper, I'm not quite finished with my experiment yet. I will complete your training exercise, once I have finished my experiment. I came here to tell you all, that what I'm about to do could change all laws of science and physiology as we know it, so _please_ don't disturb me. Thank you."

"OK Mr. Dark magic and voodoo, have fun but don't take too long."

_It is science. Not dark magic. _Kowalski sighed internally.

Kowalski then went back to his lab to begin the fateful experiment.

Kowalski mixed the potions and powders, causing an explosion or two until he had finally finished the potion.

Unbeknownst to Kowalski, the powder he had used was flawed and was about to cause some unexpected side effects.

Kowalski gave the vial containing the finished potion a quick shake.

"So long Doris and so long bliss inducing love." Kowalski made his goodbyes and drank the potion.

He put the vial to his beak and drank in one gulp.

Kowalski cried, reeled, staggered and clutched at the bench. His beak was wide opened, his face seemed to swell and to turn black, his features seemed to melt and alter and then Kowalski fainted.

He rose quickly from his faint, rising as a monstrous penguin.

To Rico and Skipper these were normal sounds, and as such were not alarmed.

But for the ever caring Private, they were a cause for concern.

"Do you think he's alright?" Private asked Skipper anxiously.

"Yeaah, he's fine, he's just doing his usual mad science thing." Skipper reassured Private.

"I don't know..." Private said dubiously.

Kowalski emerged from his laboratory, slamming the door open.

His white feathers had darkened, his height had shortened, and he had a muscular build and a malevolent expression on his face.

Private gasped in horror, Rico simply said. "Cool!"

Skipper's eyebrow rose.

"I don't know what you did soldier, but now it's time for training. Try to hit me with everything you've got."

Kowalski said nothing, his features changed into a frown. The potion had worked, but by removing the ability to love, Kowalski had removed the ability to love the lives of others.

Kowalski charged at Skipper and jabbed him brutally in the jaw.

The impact sent Skipper flying and smacking into a wall, sliding down with a thud.

"SKIPPER!" Rico and Private screamed in unison and rushed over to see if Skipper was OK.

Skipper was unconscious, Private shook him gently but with no response.

"Skipper..." Private said gently. Private's face darkened into one of his rare frowns.

"Rico take Skipper to Marlene's place and then come back and wait for my signal. I'll deal with Ko... that monster." Private ordered Rico with authority that Skipper would have been proud of.

Rico obeyed Private's command, lifted Skipper's body gently and placed it on his left shoulder. He climbed up the ladder with his free flipper, pushed the bowl away and ran as fast as he could to Marlene's habitat.

Rico arrived at Marlene's habitat panting and grunted her name breathlessly.

Marlene came out of her house to greet Rico.

"Hello Rico, how' you do..."

Before she could finish her sentence she noticed Skipper and gasped.

"What... happened to him?!" Marlene asked anxiously.

Rico put Skipper on the ground gently and gesticulated and grunted to explain what happened.

"Uh huh...uh huh...right" Marlene politely agreed, even though she didn't understand a word Rico was saying.

"OK, let's just get him inside."

Rico and Marlene then lifted Skipper up and placed him on Marlene's bed.

"Gotta go!" Rico said and quickly made his way back to the headquarters.

"Wha...OK then."

Marlene then walked over to her bed and hugged Skipper gently.

_Oh...Skipper. I hope you'll be alright. _Marlene thought sadly.

Meanwhile Private had taken a defensive stance to block Kowalski's entry to the exit.

"I don't know what you did to yourself Kowalski, but that is no way to treat other people." Private scolded sternly.

Kowalski cackled and said. "BOO!"

Using his knowledge of Private's fearful nature.

Private however was filled with indignation and courage and feigned being scared and dropped to the ground, lying flat on his belly and covering his head with his flippers.

Kowalski was about to punch Private when Private yelled out the signal to Rico; FISH!

Rico then jumped into the headquarters and he and Private grabbed Kowalski's flippers and pinned him down, utilizing what they had learnt from Skipper's training earlier that day.

"Hold him down Rico, I'll be right back."

Private then went to Kowalski's laboratory, he quickly spotted the shrink ray, left the laboratory and zapped Kowalski with it.

Rico held the tiny Kowalski in his flippers and said "AWWW"

Private went back to Kowalski's laboratory, in hope of finding something to cure Kowalski.

Among his belongings, Private found a set of notes that Kowalski had scribbled on.

On one piece of paper, there was a drawing of a love heart with a cross drawn across it.

"You removed your ability to love..." Private realised.

Private studied the notes for a few minutes and came to a decision.

"It's a long-shot but I have to try. I will make the potion again but with an extra ingredient; Kowalski's tears of joy. Just like how Princess Euphoria made Princess Melancholia be happy by crying her magic tears on her in the Lunacorns."

Private worked all night on the potion. In the morning it was complete.

All he needed now were the tears...

The night without food had made Kowalski weak so Private zapped him with the shrink ray in reverse polarity and restored him to his normal size, after all tiny tears wouldn't do, Private needed full size tears for the potion to work.

Rico pinned Kowalski to the ground so he would stand still when Private collected his tears.

Private then took deep breaths and got himself ready for an emotional speech and initiation of flashbacks.

Private then faced Kowalski.

"I know that love hurts Kowalski, but you are better than this... try to remember all those good times we had."

Flashback after flashback began to play.

Love smoothies... Rico not exploding...Singing with Roger...Private returning with the Skorca...Skipper surviving the snakehead attack...Eggy hatching... Rico's joy when Miss Perky spoke... baby Skipper...

All these memories were too much for Kowalski and he cried pure beautiful tears of joy.

Private then quickly put the vial near his cheek and collected the tears.

He then gave the vial to Kowalski and made him drink it.

Kowalski went through the same process of transformation, with the minor difference of his face turning white instead of black.

The whole experience had been harrowing for Kowalski and this time he did not awaken as swiftly after fainting.

Hours passed and when Kowalski came to, a familiar face entered his vision.

It was Skipper! He was alright.

"That was a really good punch soldier; I didn't remember anything that."

Skipper then offered his flipper and lifted Kowalski up.

This made Kowalski cry and hug Skipper tightly.

"Easy soldier, enough sappy stuff. I'm alright."

Kowalski hugged him even harder.

"I know Skipper, but you can never get enough sappy stuff, sappy stuff is good for you."

Private watched in pride as Kowalski and Skipper held the loving embrace.

Kowalski had finally learnt his lesson.

However Kowalski had only learnt the imoral/i lesson. The following day Skipper had banned him from using his laboratory for a month...


End file.
